Photo By David Moore | New Jersey Army National Guard Sgt. Joseph Williams, of Phillipsburg, and Trenton,...... read more read more
By 1st Sgt. David Moore
Joint Area Support Group-Central
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- When President George W. Bush visited Baghdad's International Zone on Dec. 14, the long army of security was laid down by Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Joint Area Support Group-Central.
For the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen, the day started like all others with personnel reporting to their respective duty directorates such as Installations, Security and Support Operations,
By late afternoon, an estimated 200-plus personnel formed up in an undisclosed location for a briefing to provide details of the mission by the commander of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Col. Steven Ferrari, and the organization's top noncommissioned officer, Command Sgt. Maj. David Kenna.
"Consider the mission critical to the U.S. and critical to Iraq," Ferrari informed the personnel as he ended his briefing without disclosing who the distinguished visitor was travelling through the streets of Baghdad's IZ.
"We'll all be in a position to make decisions," he added.
As Kenna moved in to brief the personnel, he announced who the visitor was. "It's the president. You are now a part of history to protect the president on his last visit to Iraq," he said.
By early evening, dozens of roads along the presidential motorcade's route were manned by armed military personnel from the JASG-C and the active duty 3rd-29th Field Artillery with the rules of engagement explicitly explained and rehearsed before the order was given to shutdown roads and stop pedestrians from entering the motorcade's route.
Later, a short order was given on radios to the force. "Lock down. Lock down,'' Ferrari ordered.
With that order, military personnel stepped out of the shadows and moved up armored non-tactical vehicles to block the roads entering Arbataash Tamus, locally known as the 14th July Expressway.
Soldiers then moved into position to stop pedestrians from entering the road.
"This is a good mission. He had to come back one last time to visit the troops and visit this country's leaders," New Jersey Army National Guard Sgt. Joseph Williams of Phillipsburg, N.J., said as he watched over a street that included a 24-hour supermarket.
His street was backed up with cars and pedestrians. Being teamed up with three other personnel on the busy avenue was Spc. Phillip Purnell of Trenton.
"This is a pretty impressive mission. We are definitely doing a mission that Soldiers were trained to do - provide security," Purnell said.
For the most part, Iraqi citizens who were held up from reaching their destinations were polite and patient, just waiting to see if they could catch a glimpse of Bush and the motorcade.
As all waited for what seemed like a brief hour, armed military personnel and Iraqi citizens watched the motorcade go by for the president's scheduled meeting with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
After the motorcade passed, most of the JASG-C reconfigured to position themselves as a quick reaction force in the event of any problems that the president would need another exit to leave the IZ.
But in the end, the operation ended quietly as Iraqis shook military personnel's hands, traffic moved again and Kenna said to the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen, "You did the mission exactly as expected, safely and successfully."
| Date Taken: | 12.20.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2008 06:28 |
| Story ID: | 27936 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 366 |
| Downloads: | 329 |
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